Electric igniter for gas-engines.



a., Aj. ognuna. -A mi() IGIITB FOB GAS ENGINES.

1-P2LIOATIOI- FILED JULI 28, 19.08.

Patented occ 26,1909.

I l I l Il J. A. CHARTER. BLEGTRIG IGNITER POR GAS ENGINES.

Patented not. 26, 1909..

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1908.

'a SHEETS-SHEET z.

llllllll .jsfiAT-Esv PATENT *clarion JAMES A. CHARTER, or CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, AssIcNon-To AUSTIN MANUrAcTUnnJacoMrANY,. or CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A ConnonATIoN or ILLINOIS.

ELECTBI IeNITEn ron GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. v26, 1909.

Application mea my as, 190s. serial No. 445,33.

' Zoall whom it may concern: I i

Be it'known that I, JAMES A. CHARTER, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county ofCook and State o f Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements' in Electric Igni't-ers" for Gas-Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification. l l

This invention relates to the art of eX- plosive engines, and'hasreference more particularly to a new and 'improved ignition mechanismfor firing explosive charges admitted to the engine cylinder. .I i

My present improvements are embodied in that type of ignition mechanismemploying relatively fixed and movable electrodes in vthe explosionchamber "of the engine, a inagneto of the oscillating armaturetype, and

electric connections between said ymagneto and electrodes.

One of the principal ob]ects of the invention is to provide a simplemechanism. whereby the ignition :can be adjusted or timed properly totheengine cycle While the en gine is .in motion, This is ai very desirable.feature, since with different fuels, different .the crankl at the etc.,the point of explosion in relation to the position, of time theexplosion is to be rates of speed must be varied produced. n

Another object of the invention is to provide. an 4igniter mechanismwhich will per-lv mit the positive starting of the engine from astand-still, usingthe current from the magl' neto which is re ularlyused whenthe engi e is running, an .preventing any danger of the enginereversing-or starting to runy back-NA resides, 17 designates a pendulumarm that Figure 1 is an end elevational view of an engine cylinder andits side shaft showing my improved igniter mechanism applied thereto.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown inFig. 1.-` Fig. 3 is adetail elevation of the adjusting mechanism for the magneto trip wherebythe time of sparkd ing is varied relatively to the piston stroke.

n' on thelineA--il of Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional detail, enlarged,

Referring-to the'drawings, 5 designates a portion of the enginecylinder, and 6 the trally ofthe end wall of the head 6 is an ignitercasting 7 which carries a xed electrode 8 and a movable electrode 9, theshaft of which latter is journaled in the casting 7 and at its outer endcarries a short depending arm 10 having a laterally projecting pin 11,-a spring 12 connected to said arm nor- 'nially tending to rock the shaftof the movable electrode in a direction to maintain contact between theelectrodes. The fixed electrode 8 is suitably insulated, as usual, andhas an electrical connection with the magneto through a Wire indicatedat 13.

The magneto herein shown and designated as an entirety by 14 is knownas'the oscillating type, the armature being of such a construction andshape, and so positioned* ,tion by means of two strong springs l15attached to av cross-arm 16 fast on the shaft of the oscillatingarmature. This being a standard make of magneto, no very detaileddescription thereof is necessary to a full understanding of the presentinvention.

- Referring'now more particularly to those features wherein my presentimprovement depends from" the armature shaft. Pivotally connected tothe-pendulum 17 near. its lower end is v:ix-connecting rod 18, the innerend ofy which is screwed into a slotted link 19 formed with a closedouter end 20,l the slot of'this link 19 engaging the pin 11 carried bythe i niter arm 10.

The pendu um 17 is actuated in a manner to effect a quick separationofthe electrodes 8- and 9'bythefol1owing mechanism. On the side shaft 21of the engine is mounted a disk 29., said disk having on one side alaterally projecting boss or hub This boss or hub has a radial slot Q3engaged by a pin 23" projecting from the sliaft'foi the pui'- ed beneaththe armature ofthe magneto and in such positionjthat the depending endof tlierpendulum arm 17' overlaps the forward face ofthe liska On thesame face'of the disk 22 is mounted a pivoted trip 24, lthe upwardlyprojecting ends of which are adapted 'to travel in a circular pathacross which .the lower end of the pendulum arm 17 1s projected; Thetrip 2li has a tail-.piece 241 normally held .in engagement with ltheperiphery of the hub 23 by a light spring 25.

From the foregoing itvwill be seen'tliat when the disk 22 revolves in acontra-clockwise direction, the trin 24C, engaging the pendulum 17, willoscillatev the armature the required thirty: degrees, more or less, tosuit' the conoitions of the n iagneto;l and, 'as soon as the catch has'cleared `the lower end of the pendulum arm, the springs -15 instantlyreturn," the armature to a neutral position,

thereby generating the electric current through the wire 13, xedelectrode 8, movableelectrode 9, and metallic engine f1-ame,

'back to the generator, which current is interrupted or broken at theelectrodes at the instant of its highest etliciency by the re!` bound ofthe pendulum arm I Y acting through the rod' 18 and link 19,'the closedend 2() Vof the latter striking the pin 11 and thus rockan annularly n"baivedcollar -'being provi longitudinal.

ingthe movableelect-rode 9 away from the fixed electrode 8.

The time of sparking,v relatively tothe piston stroke is, in accordancewith my invention, varied by varying the time, relatively to the stroke,at which the trip 24; engages the pendulum arm; and this vis Aeectedbyanangular operation ofthe disk 22 on the side shaft 21.4 Referring to themeans for effecting this 'angular adjustment of the disk 22, andconsidering more particularly 1T ige.. 2 and 3, it'will beseen thatbehind the disk, 22 en the shaft 21 is mounted 26, saidcollar with akey2"? slidable inv a eey-way 28 in the shaft 21.

The outer end of thisv key-is turned up, as

shown at 27, forming a tted into an oblique groove projection. which is29 formed 1n fthe inner periphery of the disk 22 and its hub' 23. Fromthis it will be seen that a longitudinal sliding movement of thecollar26 on the shaft 21 will impart a partial rotation to 'the disk 22 in onedirection or the other, according tod-he direction of movement of thecollar 26 along the shaft 21, the disk 22 being held against Ven'dwisemovement on the shaft. The means which I provide for effecting this'adjustment of the disk 22 while the' engine is running .are perhaps bestshown in the detail view, Fig. 3, wherein 3() designates a manuallyoperable lever pivoted at 31 to a hired member of the frame and having aforked lower end embracing the-annular groove of the collar 2t?. Thelonger arm ofthe lever plays over swung a quadrant plate 32p'5rovidedywith a series of holes 33, with any one of which a spring catch 34'carried by the lever'BO mayfbe engaged to hold the collar26 in any,adjusted position andthus, through the key V27 and itsl upturned end,secure the'trip-carrying i .disk 22 1n any angularly adjusted position.

Briefly' describing the operation of the mechanism as whole, the. saidshaft 21 is rotated continuously from the crank -shaft lof the engine,and at a fixed relationthereto,

in a contrae-clockwise direction; The contact of 4the-trip 24 with thependulum arm 17, therefore, tilts the pendulum toward the left, or in adirection toward theigniter. Bymeans ofthe slotted link 19 the pendulumcan travel thirty degrees, moreor less,

as required by thel magneto, without contacting with the vpin 11 carriedbythe act-uating arm ,10 of the movable electrode; but whenthe pendulumis released and flies back into its central or neutralposition, underthe influence of springs 15, it carries with it the' rod 18 andlink 19,which have been so adjusted by virtueof their screw-threaded connectionthat a slight rebound past the central position of the pendulum causesthe outer or closed end 2O ofthe link. 19 ltostrike the pin 11, and by'this contact the electrode shaft is slightly turned, carrying themovable electrode away from the face of the fixed electrode, thusopening the electric circuit and permitting the discharging of the'electric current produced by the magneto to jump and form an arc or aspark between the open points of the movableand fixed electrodes. I

By manually adjusting the lever 30, the angular position of the trip 211relatively to the shaft 21 is varied, so as to actuate the magneto andpiactic'ze,` when it is' desired to start the engine it is simplynecessary to charge the cylindex' with an explosive mixture- (wh1eh inAthis case l. accomplish-by connecting a smallA hand-operated chargingpump to the cylinder through a suitable opening provided in the cylinderhead, and supplying the mixture between the latter andv the piston. Thecrank of theengine isthenxset onsthe eXploseparate the electrodes at'the desired or proper point inthe cycle. in

sion position, just enough above the center to allow .the pressuresetup-or causedby:

the hand pump to start the piston on its out-stroke. Atthis time the'disk 22 has been so adjusted 'that the trip'24 4will notrelease thearmature of the-magneto from'it's ees out-of lineuntil 'the ,piston `hastraveled ing the trip 241:0 vpass-under the .pendulum v17. Then thesprings 15reseat the armature,

'as above described, and` produce lthe-spark position of approximatelythirty de.

The engine then is given-.suiicient .force to store up energy inthe flywheels and-,cause the rotationof the shaft, drawing in a second chargeinto the cylinder through the regular mixer provided with the engine.This new mixture is then compressed and exploded in the same manner,andthe engine is allowed to run for a few revolutions until it builds upin speed. Then, by releasing the spring catch 34 on thelever 30, thecollar 26 controlling the disk 22 which operates the magneto, isadvanced in relation to the shaft 21, and the explosionsv are producedat an earlier point in the cycle of the engine, preferably below thedead center. This point can be varied to a considerable extent on eitherside of the dead center to suit the conditions and speed of the engineand fuel used, and without necessitating the stopping of the engine. 4AI claim: l p

1. In an igniter mechanism for gas engines, the combination, with a pairof separable electrodes, and a magneto for supplying current thereto,said magneto having an oscillatory armature, of a pendulum arm fast onsaid armature, a link connect-ing said pendulum arm and movableelectrodes through. a pin-and-'slot connection permitting' movement ofsaid link in one direction without actuating said-electrode, a

spring opposing the turning-movementof said armature and, when tensionedvand released, eecting a return swing of said pendulum arm past theneutral position of'said armature whereby to separate said electrodes, arotary shaft adjacent to said magneto, a disk rotatable but'confinedagainst endwise movement on said shaft, a trip carried by said disk andadapted to engage and swing said pendulum arm thereby tensioning saidspring, and hand-operated means operable While the engine is running toshift said disk in either direction around said shaft,

' substantially as described.

2. In an igniter mechanism forL gas engines, the combinationl with apair of normally closed separable electrodes, spring-actuated mechanismfor separating said electrodes, of a rotary shaft, a' disk on said,shaft having a hub, atrip pivoted on the face of said disk ,and havinga tailpiece, a spring normally holding said tri with its nose projectedbeyond the periphery ofthel` disk and its tail-piece in contact withsaid'hub, whereby said trip is adapted to cont-act with and'tension andthen release saidelectrode-separating mechanism when traveling in aforward direction, but is depressible When ltravelingbackward, lamanually operable lever, means actuated by said lever for adjusting saiddisk in either direction around saidfshaft, and means Yfor locking saidlever in set position, substantially as described.

3. In an igniter mechanism for engines, .the combination with a pair csf.nor-v mally closed separable electrodes, a magneto and for supplyingcurrent thereto, anda spring- .connected to said key, a quadrant platepro- I vided with aplurality of holes, and a sprinvr catch carried by`said lever and l. adapte to engage any onel of said series of holes tosecure said lever in set position, substantially as described.

JAMES A. CHARTER. .l Witnesses:

S. F. MANN, CLARE L. RosENoW.

